Power take-off for air circulating means



Aug.18,1942 .D.BQN $ALL 2,293,105

I POWER TAKE-OFF FOR AIR CIRCULATING MEANS V Filed Feb. l5, 1941 `2 Sheets-Sheet 1 All-g. 18,` 1942. Q D, BNSALL 2,293,105

POWER TAKE-OFF FOR AIR CIRCLATING MEANS Filed Feb. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 POWER TAKE-OFF FOR AIR CIRCULATING MEANS Charles D. Bonsall, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Standard Railway Equipment 'Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela- Wall'e Application February 15, 1941, Serial No. 379,004

(Cl. *i4-13) 2 Claims.

The invention relates to railway refrigerator cars and more particularly to such cars having fans in the lading or refrigerant compartment thereof for causing a circulation of air within the car for refrigerating, heating or Ventilating the lading in the car. wherein a pulley engages a wheel or axle of the truck of the car so as to be revolved thereby. Means are provided between the pulley and fan whereby revolution of the pulley revolves the fan.

A typical example of such a fan equipped refrigerator car is shown in Schwebs No. 2,136,894 of November 15, 1938.

A conventional refrigerator car is swivelly supported by trucks adjacent the opposite ends of the car so that the trucks may swing in a horizontal plane when the car rounds a curve in the track. One of the objects of the invention is to provide means to retain the above mentioned pulley'in engagement with the wheel or axle of the truck when the car goes around a curve. A further object is to provide means attached to the car body and associated with the truck so as to move therewith and maintain the pulley in operative relation with the wheel or axle of the truck.

vertically acting springs are associated with the truck to absorb the shocks of a moving car over a rough and uneven track and to yieldingly resist the tendency of the car to sway in service. Therefore, a further object is to provide means for the truck to move vertically relative to the car body without disengaging said pulleyfrom said wheel or axle.

A further object is to provide means to temporarily disengage said pulley from said wheel or axle so that, if desired, the car may be moved along the track without actuating the means which operates the fan. This is also desirable so that the fan operating means may be actuated when the car is standing still by driving the pulley with an electric motor while precooling the lading. The lading is precooled, as it is called by the trade, by icing the bunkers and circulating air by means of a fan between the ice comparte ment and the lading compartment. This is done while the car is standing still; that is, before it starts moving to its destination.

Another object is to provide means to support such a pulley from the car body independently of the car truck so that a truck may be removed and replaced without disturbing the pulley or its associated elements.

A further object is to provide means in such a railway refrigerator car to attach the pulley to the body of the car so as to provide universal movement between the pulley and the car body so that the pulley will remain in engagement with the wheel of the truck during the numerous and various relative movements between the car body and the truck.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a part of the body of a refrigerator car showing the truck in an elevational View and showing my invention applied to the car.

Fig. 2 is a portion of Fig. 1 drawnto an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified construction.

The general parts of the refrigerator car shown include roof 2, floor 3, end wall 5 and bulkhead 6 spaced from the end wall 5 to divide the interior of the car into a refrigerant bunker 8 and a lading compartment 9. A similar bunker is preferably provided at the opposite end of the car. The bulkhead 6 is spaced from the roof 2 and floor 3 to provide openings II, I2 for air circulation between the bunker 8 and lading compartment 9. A fan I4 is provided, preferably in the upper opening II, to induce or accelerate such circulation of air and means are provided for driving the fan. Such means, in the preferred form shown, comprises a hydraulic turbine I5 operatively connected to the fan Ill and driven by a iiuid pumped under pressure to the turbine from a pump I1 driven by means hereinafter described. The pressure line from pump to turbine is indicated by (I8) and the return line by (20) a reservoir ZI preferably being provided in the return line 2D. The fan I4 may be driven by other means, such as a flexible shaft, if desired.

The underframe of the car includes the center sill 25 and body bolster 2S and the floor stringers 28 are supported in part by the bolster 26. The body bolster 2t is swivelly supported upon the truck bolster 29 which in turn is yieldingly supported on the truck side frames 3| by the helical springs 32 interposed therebetween. The side frames 3| are provided with bearings 34 on their opposite endsin which are journaled axles having the wheels 35 mounted thereon. A similar truck is provided at the opposite end of the car.

In the form of my invention disclosed herein, the pulley 40 is pivotally mounted upon one end 4I of a `link 43 and operatively connected to the pump I'I. The other end of the link 43 is pivotally mounted (44) upon a swivel member 4B having an upper horizontal surface 41, which loosely and slidably engages a horizontal surface 49 of a base member 5I] which is secured to some part of the car body, such as the Stringer 28. The members 45, 5I) are held together by bolts 52 which pass through round holes 53 in one of said members 5I] and slotted holes 54 in the other of said members 46. A ball 55 engaging races in each of said members 4S, 5I! may be provided `to reduce friction.

When the wheel 35 moves vertically in Arelation to the car body due to the deflection of the helical springs 32, the pulley 40 and link 43 swing around the pivot 44. When the truck moves laterally of the car body (when the car rounds a curve) the swivel member 46 pivots around the center of the base member 50, or the ball 55 if one is used.

By this construction, a universal movement is provided between the pulley l4I] and the car body, thus keeping the pulley 4l) in operative'engagement with the car wheel 35`in any service posi tion'of the car body relative to the car truck.

In order to maintain a uniform'press'ur between the pulley 4D and the Car wheel 35, a helical'spring IIlV is interposed between the link 43 "and a ledge 6I extending outwardly from' the swivel member 45.

When it is desired to move the car without operation of the fan I4, or whenY it is desired to drive the pump I'I'and fan I4 with an extraneous motorduring periods when the car is not moving, the pulley 4I) is disengaged from the wheel :i

pulley 40 mounted between the open ends 'II of the member 10. A member 'I3 having an eye 'I4 is secured to the stringer 28 and the closed end 'I6 of the U-shape member 'I0 is pivotally engaged through the eye 'I4 of the member 13, thereby permitting the member 'I0 to swing in any direction. A tie 'I'I is preferably provided to maintain the members 1I), I3 in engagement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

' I Claim:

1. A power take-off device for transmitting power from the Wheel of a railway car truck to `a mechanism for operating an air circulating fan in the car, said device comprising a pulley engaging a Wheel of the car truck, means to attach ,said pulley to the body of ,the car, said means providing universal movement between .the pulley and the car .body so .that said pulley will remain engaged with said wheel during .the'various relative movements between `the car body and .the car truck, said pulley adapted to be operatively associated with mechanism for voperating an air circulating fan in the car, said means comprising a base member securedlto .the car body land provided with a lower horizontal surface, a swivel member having an upper horizontal surface loosely engaging said lower` surface of the base member, said members being attached ltogether for relative movement about a vertical airis, and a link having one end thereof pivotally connected to said lower member and the other end thereof pivotally connected to said pulley.

2. A structure as dened in claim 1 including a spring interposed between said swivel member and said link to yieldingly maintain'said pulley in engagement with said wheel duringsaid universal movement.'

' CHARLES D. BONSALL. 

